Five Confirmed Dead In US Chocolate Factory Explosion

Five people were killed and six others missing on Saturday as rescue workers search through debris for survivors when an explosion took place at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania.

The figures were confirmed by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA).

The blast occurred at the R.M. Palmer Company plant in West Reading, a town about 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Philadelphia, said.

PEMA insisted that an investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the explosion, and that an initial incident report included reference to a gas leak.

Seven other people were transported to local hospitals with injuries, it added. PEMA did not provide details on search and rescue operations.

Images on social media of the explosion’s aftermath showed a vast pile of debris and massive flames letting off large plumes of thick black smoke, in a downtown area surrounded by other buildings.

The R.M. Palmer Company was founded in 1948. It employs some 850 people and creates 500 unique chocolate and candy products, according to information provided on its website.

Izuchukwu Okosi

Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc. In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio. He worked there for 13 years until October 2017. Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch. He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations. Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line. Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.